Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase productivity in the UK automotive sector.

lord henley: The UK already has one of the most productive automotive sectors in the world. In 2018 productivity levels in the sector were at £100,600/employee, a real term increase of 4.6% over 2017, and 42% higher than overall UK manufacturing productivity. The Government has a long-standing programme of support to maintain the productivity and competitiveness of the UK automotive sector. Through our Industrial Strategy and landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we are placing the UK at the forefront of new automotive technology development. The Sector Deal includes £32 million of joint funding for an industry-led supply chain competitiveness programme to help improve productivity in the UK supply chain and assure international competitiveness. We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for the automotive sector. BEIS Ministers and officials regularly engage with the automotive industry, including bilaterals with manufacturers, interactions via trade associations, and through the Department’s participation in the Automotive Council.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: West Bank

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Israeli Civil Administration's powers to demolish, within 96 hours, any type of new building in Area C of the West Bank without any opportunity for appeal.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank. We call on them to cease the policy of demolitions and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the treatment by Israel of Palestinian children who have been shot by Israeli forces, prevented from immediate medical help and taken into Israeli custody without family support.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to have strong concerns about continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention and to seek improvements to Israeli practices. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv last raised our concerns with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 6 June. We also regularly press Israel on the use of live fire, particularly against children, and urge unimpeded access to medical treatment.

Jerusalem: Archaeological Sites

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security of archaeological sites in East Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made any assessment of the security of archaeological sites in East Jerusalem. We regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. We are strongly opposed to any attempts to change the facts on the ground in the East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem: Religious Buildings

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of incursions onto the Al-Aqsa compound by Israeli settlersand reports that they are supported by Israeli forces and encouraged by some Israeli politicians.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by recent tensions and violence at the Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount, and urge all parties to avoid provocation and work to uphold the status quo. In our meetings with the Israeli authorities we regularly raise the need to respect the status quo on the holy sites in Jerusalem. The Minister for the Middle East expressed the Government's concern at recent escalations at the Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount with Israel's Ambassador to London on 11 June.

Gaza: Fisheries

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences of frequent alterations to the fishing zonesthat the government of Israel allows fishermen in Gaza to use.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We regularly raise with the Government of Israel the urgent need to ease all access and movement restrictions on Gaza, including fishing limits. This would help to restore the fishing industry as regular alterations to the zone, often as a punitive measure, cause uncertainty and insecurity. The UK would like to see a permanent increase in the size of the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza in line with the limit of 20 nautical miles stipulated in the Oslo accords.

Hebron

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences for Palestinian children in Hebron of the removal of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron by the government of Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by Israel's decision not to extend the mandate for Hebron's international monitoring mission. The mission has been in Hebron for over 20 years and fulfilled an important role in reducing tensions in the city between Israeli settlers and Palestinian communities. Our Ambassador to Israel raised our concerns over this decision with the Israeli authorities on 29 January. The former Minister for the Middle East discussed our concerns with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 31 January and in a tweet on 2 February.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) recent protests in Hong Kong, and (2) the impact of plans to allow extradition to China on the judicial independence of Hong Kong.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The significant protests in Hong Kong show the strength of feeling among the people of Hong Kong. We are pleased to see that, in the most part, the people of Hong Kong have peacefully exercised their rights to freedom of speech and assembly, as guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. However all allegations of inappropriate use of force by the Hong Kong police should be fully investigated by the Hong Kong SAR Government.We welcome the Chief Executive's statement that she would not proceed with the second reading of the bill, if the fears and anxieties of the people of Hong Kong were not addressed. It is vital that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and the rights and freedoms set down in the Joint Declaration are respected in full.The most recent 6 monthly report on Hong Kong published on 27 March, made clear our view that judicial independence in Hong Kong remains robust. The proposals themselves have no direct impact on judicial independence. However we are concerned that the proposals could risk leaving the extradition process open to political interference, and could, in future, undermine Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Joint Declaration.

Israel: Lebanon

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they assess progress in negotiations between Israel and Lebanon about offshore gas and oil, in particular over the Block 9 oilfield; and whether they are able to provide technical assistance to the parties involved with offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We welcome attempts by all parties involved in negotiations over the maritime border to find a solution which is acceptable to all sides. A deal is in everyone’s interests and the UK stands ready to support.

Roma Holocaust Memorial Day

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will be represented at the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in Krakow on 2 August.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government will be represented at the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in Krakow on 2 August by The Rt Hon Lord Pickles, Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues.

Hong Kong: Extradition

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the ratification of the Sino-British Joint Declaration by the governments of China and the United Kingdom in 1984 and the registration of that Declaration with the United Nations in 1985, what representations they intend to make to the United Nations about the government of Hong Kong’s proposed extradition law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty registered with the UN. Its objectives apply to both signatories – the government of the People's Republic of China and the UK. It remains in force, and remains acutely relevant to the conduct of life in Hong Kong.We welcome the Chief Executive's statement that she would not proceed with the second reading of the bill, if the fears and anxieties of the people of Hong Kong were not addressed. It is vital that Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and the rights and freedoms set down in the Joint Declaration are respected in full.

Bahrain: Human Rights

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Bahrain warning citizens in Bahrain of legal consequences if they follow anti-government social media accounts, and of the impact of such a warning on the freedoms and rights of the citizens of Bahrain.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to protect freedom of expression for all of its citizens, in line with its international obligations. The UK supports freedom of expression and freedom of speech as both a fundamental right in itself and as an essential element of a full range of human rights.

Commonwealth: Trade

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK High Commissioner or a trade official attended the recent Commonwealth SME Summit in Nairobi; if not, why not; and if so, what conclusions they drew from that summit.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​A representative of the British High Commission in Nairobi attended the Intra-Commonwealth SME Trade Summit in Nairobi in May, which noted the trend for the rising value of digital processes in SMEs' production and the need for SMEs to adapt to the increased global competition through digital technologies. The conclusions drawn included the need for Governments to promote national data policies and devise policies designed to protect infant domestic e-commerce platforms from the practices of larger, established companies. A recurring theme was the need to build SME digital capacity, with a role for tech hubs and incubators. In March, the UK also co-chaired the first meeting of the Digital Cluster of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment when Kenya joined representatives from 18 other Commonwealth countries to discuss how the Commonwealth can support development and increase trade by creating a more enabling environment for digital trade.

Pakistan: Minority Groups

lord gordon of strathblane: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about addressing hate speech against Christians and other minorities in schools, the workplace and places of worship.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. I raised the treatment of religious minority communities with Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, during my visit to Islamabad in February. While in Pakistan, I also met a range of Pakistan's faith leaders to discuss freedom of religion or belief.Under the Government's Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, the UK has supported projects in Pakistan to promote greater tolerance and religious freedom. In November 2018, the Government announced a new £12m fund to bolster the work of civil society and NGOs to promote respect and the value of religious diversity and tolerance.We continue to urge the government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan as laid down in the Constitution and in accordance with international standards. It is vital that Pakistan guarantees the rights of all its citizens, regardless of ethnicity or belief.

Iran: Nuclear Power

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the UK’s participation in the Iran nuclear agreement following escalating tensions in the region.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We regard the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) as a crucial agreement that makes the world a safer place by neutralising the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. We are urging Iran not to take escalatory steps and to continue to meet its commitments under the deal. While Iran is in compliance, we remain fully committed to the JCPoA, a key achievement of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, which is in our shared security interests.

Department of Health and Social Care

Opiates: Prescriptions

the lord bishop of carlisle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that individuals prescribed opioid medication for chronic pain have their prescriptions reviewed on an annual basis.

baroness barran: The General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) ethical guidance Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices (2013) sets out that with all prescriptions, it is expected that clinicians make sure that suitable arrangements are in place for monitoring, follow-up and review, taking account of the patients’ needs and any risks arising from the medicines.A copy of the GMC guidance is attached.



Prescribing_guidance
(PDF Document, 293.36 KB)

Gender Recognition: Children

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to prevent the illegal supply of puberty-blocking drugs to British children and adolescents by Dr Helena Webberley, who was recently suspended from the Medical Register by the General Medical Counciland who is advertising services from Spain.

baroness barran: It is unacceptable if patients are being put at risk by a service that deliberately places itself beyond the jurisdiction of United Kingdom regulators.The Department is working closely with the Care Quality Commission and relevant professional regulators to explore how it can close the loopholes that allow a small number of online organisations to operate without the necessary oversight.

Department for Education

Education: Travellers

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance and training they provide to teachers and educational institutions about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture; and how they ensure full understanding amongst teachers of that culture.

lord agnew of oulton: Our education reforms, including those aimed at improving teaching, encouraging good attendance and behaviour, and strengthening the curriculum and examination system, are designed to deliver opportunity and high standards for all pupils, whatever their background. Teachers, schools and local authorities also have access to information and best practice‎ in supporting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils, as well as advice from community representative organisations.The government does not prescribe the content of initial teacher training (ITT) courses. It is for individual ITT providers to determine the content, structure and proportion of courses. However, courses must be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate that they meet all of the Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level. The Standards set out the key elements of effective teaching and the minimum expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers. These include the requirements that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils. In order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status, trainees must satisfy the Standards.The Teachers’ Standards can be found here and attached: www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards.The ‘Framework of Core Content for ITT (2016)’ states, “Providers should ensure that trainees are equipped to identify the needs of all pupils, avoiding labelling by group, and make provision for them.” This framework can be found here and attached: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-government-response-to-carter-review. For training to be effective, it must be tailored to the needs of the teacher. That is why decisions relating to continuous professional development (CPD) rightly rest with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves. To support schools, in 2016, the department published the ‘Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development’ and we have re-convened the CPD Expert Group to develop recommendations that ensure that all teachers have access to high-quality, meaningful support and CPD.



HL16312_ A_framework_of_core_content_for_ITT
(PDF Document, 419.21 KB)




HL16312_Teachers'_Standards_July_2011
(PDF Document, 184.35 KB)

Pupils: Travellers

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they have in place to safeguard against bullying and harassment of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children in schools and to prevent off-loading of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children when any such bullying and harassment occurs.

lord agnew of oulton: The government has sent a clear message to schools that bullying is unacceptable and should never be tolerated. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. The public sector Equality Duty means that schools must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. Schools must also have regard to the need to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic, including race, and people who do not share it. Policies should reflect this where appropriate. We have issued guidance to schools about how to prevent and respond to bullying as part of their overall behaviour policy.The department is providing over £2.8 million of funding between September 2016 and March 2020 to 4 anti-bullying organisations to support schools tackle bullying. This includes the Anne Frank Trust, who have developed the Free to Be debate programme, encouraging pupils to think about the importance of tackling prejudice, discrimination, and bullying.The department’s preventing and tackling bullying guidance is clear that schools should do all they can to ensure bullied pupils continue to attend school. Removing bullied pupils from school, even for a short time, disrupts their education, and fails to address the causes of the problem.In 2017, the department wrote to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules surrounding exclusion. All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register. The law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended.Ofsted already considers records of pupils taken off roll and has also recently consulted on proposals that will see a strengthened focus on this issue. From September 2019, where Ofsted inspectors find off-rolling, this will always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate will lead to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate.

Business: Education

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the development of entrepreneurial skills as part of the UK education curriculum.

lord agnew of oulton: There are already a number of opportunities in schools for pupils to develop their entrepreneurial skills. The new business GCSE, which was first taught in the 2017/18 academic year, is intended to enable pupils to develop as commercially minded and enterprising individuals. In 2014, financial literacy was made statutory within the national curriculum for the first time, as it is now taught as part of the citizenship curriculum for 11-16 year olds. Schools are also able to cover enterprise and entrepreneurship teaching within their personal, social, health and economic education.In addition to this the government’s careers strategy, published in December 2017, aims to give young people from all backgrounds the opportunity to learn from employers about work and the skills that are valued in the workplace. It introduces a new expectation that all secondary schools should offer every young person at least seven encounters with employers as part of a high-quality careers programme during their education, including those who are self-employed.The Careers & Enterprise Company’s network of enterprise advisers supports the delivery of this ambition. Enterprise advisers are senior business volunteers who help schools to work with local businesses. The network is already operating in over half of secondary schools and colleges, and will be available to all of them by 2020.Character education is also important, and the great majority of schools provide this through the culture and ethos of the school, and through extra-curricular activities. Studies have found that skills such as self-confidence, tenacity and resilience have a strong role to play in outcomes in adult life, such as being in work, wage levels, or doing well in higher education. One of the five foundations for building character is the world of work, which includes entrepreneurship.

War Memorials: Greater London

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government which government department owns the Royal Naval Division memorial on Horse Guards Parade; and which department is responsible for its upkeep.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government which government department is responsible for the supply of water to the Royal Naval Division memorial on Horse Guards Parade; and why that water does not run continuously.

lord agnew of oulton: In 2015, the Department for Education took ownership of the Old Admiralty Building (OAB) freehold. One of the key responsibilities, linked to the freehold, is to act as the custodian of the Royal Naval Division memorial. As part of this, the department is responsible for the maintenance of the memorial. Since taking the freehold, the department has been undertaking a major refurbishment of the OAB. This includes significant construction work and, to enable this, the building services have been temporarily disconnected/reduced. The refurbishment programme is due to complete in November 2019. Once the building services are re-commissioned, the water supply to the memorial will be connected. In early 2020, the freehold for the OAB will transfer to Government Property Agency and they will become the custodian of the Royal Naval Division memorial.

School Exclusions Review

baroness morris of yardley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendation in the Timpson review of school exclusion to establish "a practice fund of sufficient value, longevity and reach".

lord agnew of oulton: In its response to Edward Timpson’s review of school exclusion, the government set out its intention to establish a practice programme to build on the excellent practice identified by Edward Timpson.This programme will embed effective partnership working between local authorities, schools, alternative provision, and other partners to better equip schools to intervene early for children at risk of exclusion and to ensure that the most effective provision is put in place for those who are excluded.

School Exclusions Review

baroness morris of yardley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that sector experts are regularly consulted on the implementation of the recommendations of the Timpson review of school exclusion.

lord agnew of oulton: The department will take a collaborative and consultative approach in delivering the recommendations of Edward Timpson’s review. Over the summer, we will work with education leaders to design a consultation on how to reform school accountability for children who are excluded, and how we can enable schools to fulfil new accountabilities through reform to commissioning and funding arrangements for alternative provision. This consultation will launch in the autumn. The department will also consult widely in responding to several of Edward Timpson’s other recommendations, including the revision of guidance relating to behaviour and exclusions, on improvements to the national data on exclusion, and on possible changes to the arrangements for fixed term exclusion.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords Composition

lord farmer: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the current gender composition of the House of Lords broken down by member's (1) country, and (2) region, of origin.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The House of Lords is currently made up of 585 male and 215 female members; we do not hold data on the country or region of origin of members.

Department for International Trade

Foreign Investment in UK

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help attract foreign direct investment into the UK after Brexit.

viscount younger of leckie: The Department for International Trade promotes the UK as a foreign direct investment (FDI) destination across our entire global network, with dedicated specialist support for investors across the world. We will continue to demonstrate the UK’s strengths, including an open, liberal economy, a business-friendly environment and a world-class talent.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Climate Change

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 14 May (HL15410), why the building regulations do not take account of the contribution of glass cladding to global warming.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings. The principal way that developers demonstrate compliance is through a whole building energy calculation. For a new building, the properties of the glazing and façade would be taken into account in the calculation of overall energy performance and therefore the carbon emissions from the building.

Housing: Fire Prevention

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks attributed to the wooden cladding of flats and terraced homes in England.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In December 2018, the Government banned combustible materials in the external walls of new high-rise residential buildings that contain flats, as well as hospitals, residential care premises, student accommodation and residential accommodation in schools for those buildings which have a top storey more than 18 metres above ground level.The Department started in December 2018 a technical review of the statutory guidance to the Building Regulation dealing with fire safety. A call for evidence was published on 18 December 2018 and closed on 15 March 2019. The call for evidence asked for views on the trigger heights and thresholds used in the document.

Social Rented Housing

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to deliver 90,000 homes for social rent each year in order to assist with (1) the backlog of provision of affordable housing, and (2) homelessness, as part of their forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We have already announced an additional £2 billion of long term funding certainty for housing associations. This extra funding will deliver more affordable homes and stimulate the sector’s wider building ambitions, through strategic partnerships Our ten year funding commitment through strategic partnerships marks the first time any government has invested such long-term funding in new homes through housing associations We will seek to build on the progress that has been made on building new social homes as we approach this year’s Spending Review.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Gaming Machines

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) Fixed-Odd Betting Terminals and (2) Electronic Gaming Machines, are on property belonging to the Ministry of Defence.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money was made from Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals located on Ministry of Defence property in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, and (4) 2018; and who was the beneficiary of any such money.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of gambling-related harm amongst (1) veterans, and (2) those currently serving inHer Majesty's Armed Forces; and whether the Ministry of Defence has conducted any research into gambling participation rates in those groups.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision is available to problem gamblers who are currently serving in Her Majesty's Armed Forces.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made, if any, of the number of problem gamblers who are currently serving in Her Majesty's Armed Forces.

earl howe: Gambling as an addiction has serious implications for Defence; as a security risk, financially, a mental health issue and as a wider welfare impact on Service personnel; families; veterans and their families. Gambling addiction is difficult to target and deal with effectively as most activity is carried out when Service personnel are off duty or at home. However, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is working to raise financial awareness among Service personnel; all three Services provide links on their welfare sites to several financial advisory sites including MoneyForce, Joining Forces Credit Union, the Services Insurance and Investment Advisory Panel and GamCare, a national charity and leading provider of information, advice and free counselling for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling. The MOD has not funded or conducted any research on problem gambling among Service personnel or veterans. We are aware that in 2017 the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) supported a gambling study by Swansea University, the preliminary findings of which suggested UK veterans may be at an increased risk of developing gambling problems than non-veterans. In 2018, FiMT awarded Swansea University £279,503 to undertake a survey to understand and explore the levels of gambling participation and attitudes to gambling in ex-Service personnel. The requested information on the numbers of betting terminals and gaming machines on MOD property and the revenue generated and beneficiaries is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

Arcadia Group: Pensions

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Pensions Regulatorhas allowed the owners of Arcadia Group to phase their contribution to address that company’s pension deficit over a period of time instead of a single up-front payment; whether the Pensions Regulator is using financial advisers to determine whether Arcadia’s business plan will eventually cover the deficit; andif so, who are thoseadvisers.

baroness buscombe: The pensions framework established by Parliament in the Pensions Act 2004 sets out that ongoing employers may address the funding of their scheme deficits over a reasonable period of time. This responsibility falls on the company rather than its owners, other than where The Pensions Regulator has used its anti-avoidance powers. This approach of spreading funding of deficits was established to balance the needs of schemes with those of their sponsoring employers. The Arcadia trustees and the Arcadia group took an approach which was similar to many other schemes and employers in establishing recovery plans to address their schemes’ deficits over a number of years. In response to a request to vary those recovery plan payments, made in conjunction with the Arcadia Group’s Company Voluntary Arrangements proposals, The Pensions Regulator, working alongside the trustees and the Pension Protection Fund, has negotiated robustly to secure an enhanced package of support for the pension schemes in connection with a successful Company Voluntary Arrangement, worth significantly more than would be received if the Company Voluntary Arrangement is not successful and Arcadia Group Ltd becomes insolvent. This represents appropriate protection, in challenging circumstances, and is equitable in the context of the wider Company Voluntary Arrangements process. In assessing the turnaround plan presented by Arcadia, The Pensions Regulator has been informed by the analysis carried out by professional advisers to the trustees. The Pensions Regulator has considerable expertise in restructuring situations and this includes people in its regulatory teams with a background working in big chartered accountancy firms and restructuring operations in banks.

Arcadia Group: Pensions

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Pensions Regulator (1) regarded an additional payment into the Arcadia Pension Fund to be an adequate contribution tothe deficit, and(2) supported the Company Voluntary Arrangements proposed by Sir Philip and Lady Green; and if so, why.

baroness buscombe: The best support for a defined benefit pension scheme is an ongoing trading employer. Working with the shareholders, pension trustees and Pension Protection Fund, The Pensions Regulator were pleased to be able to agree a £310m package of support last week that would provide greater certainty for the Arcadia pension schemes. This comprises security to the value of £210m, together with the £100m in cash from Lady Green. The Pensions Regulator remain satisfied that the arrangement is the right one for members and the Pension Protection Fund in challenging circumstances and is equitable in the context of the wider Company Voluntary Arrangements process. The Pension Regulator’s goal is to protect the interests of members of the Arcadia schemes as far as possible in these difficult circumstances. A successful outcome will mean ongoing Deficit repair contributions payments from the company, enabling the schemes to become fully funded in due course. Had the Company Voluntary Arrangement votes failed, or if the Company Voluntary Arrangements are successfully challenged, the position of the pension schemes would be/will be much less certain. Deficit repair contributions from Arcadia Group Limited, initially £25m per annum (paid in equal monthly instalments) and escalating in subsequent years, would cease. The amount recovered by the pension schemes would be significantly less in an uncontrolled insolvency than under the terms of the Company Voluntary Arrangement. On this basis The Pensions Regulator supported the Company Voluntary Arrangement.

State Retirement Pensions: Greater Manchester

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pensioners aged 75 and over receive (1) state pension, and (2) pensioner credit, in each of the ten districts of Greater Manchester.

baroness buscombe: In November 2018, the number of pensioners aged 75 and over claiming the State Pension and Pension Credit in the Greater Manchester districts can be found in the table below. Pension Credit and State Pension Recipients by district  State PensionPension CreditBolton21,3214,859Bury15,1892,790Manchester21,5248,290Oldham16,3743,746Rochdale15,2313,798Salford16,1574,255Stockport27,2584,239Tameside17,0493,790Trafford19,3593,006Wigan26,3545,416

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sewage: Whitburn

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the average volume of storm sewage discharge has reduced since the completion of the scheme at the Whitburn long sea outfall in December 2017 compared to the average volume when using the previous system.

lord gardiner of kimble: Based on the current available data there has been an approximate 37% reduction in spill numbers and a 43% reduction in spill volume since the completion of the enhancement works, against the average for the previous ten year period. Prior to the completion of the enhancement works at Whitburn long sea outfall, records showed an average of 27 storm sewage discharge ‘spills’ totalling around 660,000 cubic metres each year for the ten year period from 2008 to 2017. In 2018, the first year of operation for the enhanced system, records show 17 storm sewage discharge ‘spills’ totalling around 380,000 cubic metres.

Sewage: Whitburn

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the volume of storm sewage discharge has been since the completion of the scheme at the Whitburn long sea outfall in each monthsinceDecember 2017 for which figures are available.

lord gardiner of kimble: Verified data is provided for the total volume of discharge for each month between January 2018 and December 2019 when discharge events occurred. DateVolume of storm sewage discharged (m3 ) January 201810387.50 m3March 201895323.50 m3April 2018114946.50 m3July 201846641.00 m3August 201855095.00 m3September 201837882.50 m3October 201816317.00 m3November 20180 m3December 20180 m3

Sewage: Tyne and Wear

baroness bakewell of hardington mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs next plans to hold discussions with (1) Northumbrian Water, (2) Sunderland City Council, and (3) South Tyneside Council, on further reducing the impact of sewage discharges on beaches at (a) Sunderland, and (b) Whitburn.

lord gardiner of kimble: The bathing beaches at Sunderland and Whitburn consistently achieve ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ quality under the Bathing Waters Directive. As required environmental standards are being met, the Environment Agency, which acts on behalf of the Government on local environmental planning matters, has no immediate plans to meet with Northumbrian Water or the local authorities about reducing the impact of sewage discharges.   The Environment Agency will continue to monitor bathing water quality and meet regularly with Northumbrian Water to discuss any improvements when they are required. It also gives planning advice to local authorities such as Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council on any matters that concern bathing water quality.

Water Supply

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to balance the demands for water from a growing population with the amount of water in the environment that can sustainably be withdrawn as a result of the impact of climate change.

lord gardiner of kimble: The government is working closely with other water regulators and the water industry to improve the resilience of water supplies. The government recognises continued action is required and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’, of reducing demand for water and increasing supply in parallel. Water companies have a statutory duty to provide clean and reliable water to customers under the Water Industry Act 1991. To fulfil this duty there is a statutory requirement to maintain water resources management plans, which balance water supply and demand at least twenty-five years into the future. The government, the Environment Agency and Ofwat issued guidance to water companies in 2016 on how they should be planning to supply water to a growing population, while protecting and enhancing our environment, including taking appropriate action to respond to climate projections. Water companies are currently revising their plans. The government is taking steps to improve water resources planning to ensure that there is better collaboration between water companies and other water using sectors on their water supply resilience. This includes the Environment Agency developing a National Framework for water resources, which use evidence to illustrate the regional and national challenge of water availability. The government has also consulted on legislative improvements to ensure that water companies’ plans are informed by effective collaboration. The Environment Agency is also implementing the abstraction plan, published in 2017. This includes work to bring together the Environment Agency, abstractors and catchment groups to develop local solutions to protect and enhance the environment, and improve access to water.

Chemicals: Regulation

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimbleon 4 June (HL15892), why, if the terms DecaBDE and DecaPBDE are interchangeable, DecaBDE has been banned whilst production of DecaPBDE continues.

lord gardiner of kimble: DecaBDE refers to Decabromodiphenyl Ether, a substance which falls under a wider group of chemicals known as Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs). DecaBDE has not been produced in the UK since the late 1990s. DecaPBDE is not a term that is generally used to describe this or any other substance and no such substance is produced in the UK.

Home Office

Africa: Visas

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made ofthe letter, published in The Observer on 9 June, from 70 senior leaders from universities and research institutes across the UKwarning that “visa refusals for African cultural, development and academic leaders ... [are] undermining 'Global Britain’s' reputation as well as efforts to tackle global challenges"; and what steps they intend totake in response.

baroness williams of trafford: All visa applications are considered on their individual merits and on the basis of the evidence available, in line with the immigration rules. We welcome international academics and recognise their contribution to the UK’s world-leading education sector.When we are informed of large academic events, UKVI strategic engagement teams can assist event organisers and attendees with the visa application process.

Election Offences: Prosecutions

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 3 July 2017 (HL3), 15 September 2017 (HL1448), and 13 October 2017 (HL1671), and by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 21 December 2017 (HL3975), 16 March 2018 (HL6045), 20 November 2018 (HL11393 and HL11394), and 17 May (HL15556), what has been the total number of criminal charges for electoral abuse in (1) Northern Ireland, and (2) elsewhere in the UK, since 2010.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office holds data for the outcomes of crimes recorded by police forces in England and Wales.Since 2010 there have been 231 known recorded charges for the Home Office criminal offence codes which cover crimes related to electoral abuse. This does not include offences of tampering with nomination or ballot papers which cannot be separately identified in the data held centrally.As policing is a devolved matter, data for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not held by the Home Office.

Paedophilia: Social Media

lord moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, or intend to take, to address thenumber of paedophiles operating on Twitter and other social media platforms.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government set out plans for tackling online harms and keeping children safe online, including from child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), in the Online Harms White Paper. The White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online and hold companies to account for tackling a wide range of online harms.This includes an overarching statutory duty of care on companies: this will place a legal responsibility on companies in scope to take reasonable steps to keep their users safe and tackle illegal and harmful activity on their services. This will be overseen and enforced by an independent regulator.The regulator will issue codes of practice that set out what companies should do to fulfil their new duty of care. Reflecting the threat to national security or the physical safety of children, the regulator will require companies to take particularly robust action to tackle terrorist or CSEA content. The Government will publish interim codes of practice providing guidance about tackling terrorist activity and online CSEA later this yearIn addition, the Home Secretary has been clear with industry that they should be proactive in combatting child sexual exploitation. The Home Secretary set out five key demands of industry at his speech at the NSPCC on 3 September, including stopping online grooming and live-streaming of abuse.As part of this commitment to protect children from online harms, in November the Home Secretary co-hosted the Microsoft-led Hackathon in the US, where he met with leading industry stakeholders to identify robust ways to tackle and prevent child sexual abuse on the internet. A prototype tool was developed at the Hackathon that can be used to automatically flag potential conversations taking place between online groomers and children, which will be licensed free of charge to technology companies worldwide. In June the Home Secretary also announced an additional £300,000 to take forward new technological innovations to target livestreaming of child abuse.

Treasury

Pensioners

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are (1) the benefits, and (2) the concessions, provided exclusively to people of pensionable age; and what are the costs of each to the Exchequer.

lord young of cookham: In total, DWP expenditure to people of pensionable age in 2017/18 was £123.8bn and this includes benefits payable to pensioners but not exclusive to that group such as: Disability Living Allowance; Personal Independence Payment; Christmas Bonus; and Cold Weather Payments. Exclusive pensioner benefits are listed below : Pensioner benefit expenditure 2017/18Attendance Allowance£5.74bnPension Credit£5.57bnState Pension (bSP and nSP combined)£97.38bnWinter Fuel Payments£2.1bnFree TV Licences£655m

GAM Greensill Supply Chain Finance Fund

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are investigating, or intend to investigate, the (1)management of, (2) investment valuations used by, and (3) relationships between managers and businesses invested in, the GAM Greensill Supply Chain Finance Fund.

lord young of cookham: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the conduct regulator for the financial services industry in the UK. The FCA will not normally make public the fact that it is or is not investigating a particular matter, in order to protect the effectiveness of any investigation it carries out. The FCA has been made aware of this Parliamentary Question.

Lendy

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, when authorising Lendy, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considered the company to be (1) an agent, or (2) a principal, in the relationship between the lender or borrower; or whether the FCA took no view on this matter.

lord young of cookham: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to Lord Myners by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Financial Services

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Financial Conduct Authority about establishing an independent review into the (1) role of corporate directors of open-ended investment funds, (2) limitations placed on unlisted and illiquid investments in such funds, and (3) systemic risks arising from daily dealing in the units of investment funds.

lord young of cookham: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to Lord Myners by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Financial Services

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any (1)systemic risk arising from open-ended investment funds investing in leveraged sub-investment grade bonds and debt issues by developing world nations denominated in G7 currencies, and(2) risks arising from such maturity transformation.

lord young of cookham: The question has been passed to the Bank of England. The Bank of England will reply directly to Lord Myners by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Money Laundering

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in addressing the findings of the report by the Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS) Anti-Money Laundering Supervision by the Legal and Accountancy Professional Body Supervisors: Themes from the 2018 OPBAS anti-money laundering supervisory assessments; and what areas they have identified as key for OPBAS’s supervisory plans for 2019.

lord young of cookham: In response to the recommendation from the Treasury Select Committee following its recent Inquiry into Economic Crime, HM Treasury will publish a detailed consideration of the process for responding to a recommendation from the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) for the removal of a professional body’s status as an anti-money laundering (AML) supervisor, including management of changes in supervisory responsibilities, by September 2019. The next steps in strengthening the UK’s approach to AML supervision will be set out more fully through an Economic Crime Plan, which is due to be published in July 2019.   This question has also been passed on to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), within which OPBAS is housed. The FCA will reply directly to Baroness Stern by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Technology: New Businesses

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to continue to increase the number of UK technology business start-ups after Brexit.

lord ashton of hyde: We are confident the digital technology sector and its startup community will continue to go from strength to strength. As outlined in our Digital Strategy and Charter, our ambition is to ensure the UK is the best place in the world to start and grow a digital business - and that ambition remains after we leave the EU. Tech Nation and Dealroom have released figures showing that investment in UK tech reached £6.8 billion ($8.7bn) last year and has already reached £3.8 billion ($4.8bn) in the first half of 2019, showing that the UK tech ecosystem is still world-leading and remains in a strong position.Through our extensive engagement with the sector, we understand that the primary barriers to growth for startups are having adequate access to both finance and talent. That is why for finance, Government announced a new £2.5 billion British Patient Capital programme, which is expected to attract a further £5 billion in private investment, in order to support UK companies with high growth potential to access the long-term investment they need to grow and go global.To continue to attract international talent, we have doubled the number of Tier 1 Exceptional Talent visas to 2,000, and taken doctors and nurses out of the Tier 2 visa cap, freeing up many more skilled worker visas to other sectors, including tech. At the end of March this year, Home Office launched the new Start-Up and Innovator visa routes for entrepreneurs, which will replace a route exclusively for graduates, opening it up to other talented business founders.In the Autumn Budget 2017 we also announced investment of £21 million to expand Tech City UK into a nationwide network – Tech Nation – aimed at accelerating the growth of the digital tech sector across the country. The funding will help Tech Nation support 40,000 entrepreneurs and up to 4,000 start-ups as they scale their businesses across the UK including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Newcastle. And at London Tech Week last week, the PM launched a study into tech competitiveness - this will identify key opportunities and support mechanisms for business growth in the digital tech sector.

Business: Cybercrime

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance and support they provide to businesses in relation to cyber security; and whether they intend to introduce systems for businesses to assess the adequacy of (1) their protection against cyber threats, and (2) their cyber security skills.

lord ashton of hyde: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year, £1.9 billion National Cyber Security Strategy and provides guidance and support to businesses and public sector organisations on all matters relating to cyber security. This includes the Small Business Guide, a Response and Recovery guide, a toolkit for Boards and an "Exercise In a Box" to help organisations assess their cyber resilience. Through the Cyber Essentials Scheme, companies are already able to assess whether they have put in place security measures to protect themselves against the majority of untargeted cyber attacks. We are undertaking a comprehensive review of the UK’s cyber regulatory and incentives landscape. This builds on our last review in 2016, to understand what has worked well, and where further action is needed to drive the necessary improvements in cyber security behaviours and practices. This will be done with acknowledgement of the broader asks being placed on business as we look to grow and secure the digital economy. It will include consideration of whether and how businesses should be required to assess the adequacy of their cyber security and whether they have the skills they need to manage cyber security risk.

Television: Licensing

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to take action against third party organisations which charge TV licence fee payers for services which are provided for free by TV Licensing.

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 13 June (HL16067), what action they are taking to prevent third parties from misleading BBC customers and such customers incurring unnecessary costs.

lord ashton of hyde: The BBC is responsible for the collection and enforcement of the licence fee, not the Government. Third party sites offering TV Licensing services are not endorsed by TV Licensing and customers are always advised to contact TV Licensing directly or go to the official site at www.tvlicensing.co.uk. Further information is available to the public on the official TV Licensing website at https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/faqs/FAQ312 However, the Government expects the BBC to consider what steps it can take to reduce the impact of these third party services where customers are being misled.